On August 12, CompTIA posted a press release concerning a certification update delivered at the CompTIA Breakaway event this week. To summarize, IT jobs are expected to greatly increase over the next several years. With those new jobs, a different set of skills will be required according to industry trends.

“Trends in technology are changing the employment landscape,” Terry Erdle, senior vice president, skills certification, CompTIA, said in remarks delivered at Breakaway 2010, the premier event for IT companies in North America.

“It doesn’t mean that we don’t need people,” he added. “It’s just a different kind of job.”

What does this mean for the industry? Basically with smaller budgets, businesses are looking to new technologies to accomplish their goals. With new technology and new trends comes new knowledge, and employers are suddenly finding themselves understaffed. The IT job market grows, but job seekers hoping to land a position in the IT industry will need certifications more than ever to prove they have the skills required to do the job. Remember, the main reason businesses need people in the first place is because of new IT practices brought on by budget constraints – they will be looking for the most bang for their buck. But will current certifications cover the knowledge needed for these new jobs? CompTIA covered that…

CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral certifications for the IT workforce, is planning several new certification programs in the next six to twelve months, Erdle said. They include certifications in advanced security skills, healthcare IT, storage and cloud computing
“We’re trying to push the industry up to a mastery level of skills,” he said.

CompTIA and Certification Partners, LLC announced this week that they’ve jointly developed a new credential that validates skills and standards-based knowledge in today’s convergence technologies. The new CTP+ certification available Aug. 30 is designed to address the rapidly changing landscape of new network convergence products and solutions, such as voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephony, unified messaging and web conferencing.

So there you have it – the IT industry is changing, and certification providers are making sure that your employers know you’re keeping up with the latest requirements. We’ll surely hear more about these new certifications and requirements in the future, so be sure to check back with us about how we’ll help you prepare for the new certification exams.